


Sleep like a Baby

by Cookies_and_Chaos



Category: Gears of War (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28648413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cookies_and_Chaos/pseuds/Cookies_and_Chaos
Summary: Nightmares just aren't that high on Baird's to-do list. Written for the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2020, Day 11, "Eleven Dark Tunnels".
Kudos: 7
Collections: 12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2020





	Sleep like a Baby

"It true what they say?"

Baird put aside the electronics he had salvaged from the DeeBee and dusted off his hands as he looked around for the screwdriver he needed. "Depends. People say a lot of shit. What've they been saying?"

Del handed him the screwdriver without him needing to ask. That kid sure had potential. For something, at least, Baird hadn't quite decided what yet.

"That you don't get nightmares," Del said.

"Oh that, yeah. Never have. Sleep like a baby." Baird returned to the shell of the DeeBee and began opening up the head case.

"How? You guys saw some real serious shit, I heard some of the stories about what was down in the tunnels after E-Day," Del said.

"Like you all haven't seen shit too." Baird wondered if he had some errand he could send Del on to avoid this psychological examination of his psyche. Anyone else would just shake their head, figure there was something just not right with Baird, and go on their way.

Del was too fucking clever for his own good — an accusation that had been flung at Baird many a time over the years — and he would already be piecing together theories and ideas about how Baird escaped the nightmares that plagued his team mates.

"But down there? Dark tunnels, glow in the dark locust, those frigging worms they used to clear out the tunnels? Man, that's a whole different level of nightmare fuel. You really sleep just fine?" Del shook his head. "I get nightmares enough from the stuff I've seen."

"Guess some of us just process stuff differently. See enough nightmare fuel when you're awake, your brain gives you a break when you sleep," Baird said. "You should be grateful, wouldn't be able to keep saving all your asses if I didn't sleep enough to invent all this stuff."

"For real though, not a single nightmare. Ever?" Del persisted.

Baird removed the circuit board from the DeeBee and handed it to Del. Time for errands after all. "Go take that to the workshop and get it hooked up for me. I'll be down in a minute."

"Yeah, yeah, alright." Del jumped down and took the circuit board. "I get the hint."

Grateful for the silence once the younger man left, Baird focus on dismantling the rest of the DeeBee. Something he never could understand was why he was considered the damaged one for not repeating the hell they lived through when he was asleep. The way he figured, he was the only one with a brain that actually gave him some down-time.

Besides, he wasn't exactly champing at the bit to have it any other way.


End file.
